‘Medicine mishap’ lands NRL great Ben Kennedy in the doghouse
RUGBY league legend Ben Kennedy has been charged for illegally entering the government’s high-security sniffer dog headquarters near Sydney Airport after a State of Origin function.
NSW
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RUGBY league legend Ben Kennedy has been charged for illegally entering the government’s high-security sniffer dog headquarters near Sydney Airport after a State of Origin function.
But the NRL premiership winner will tell a court tomorrow his heavy-duty back medication reacted badly with alcohol and left him in a disoriented state where he wandered into the Australian Border Force’s Detector Dog base in Banksmeadow before 4am on June 3 and couldn’t get out.
The 44-year-old will also tell the court he smashed the window of a government owned Toyota Hi-Lux to escape the cold given he was stranded wearing shorts and thongs in 13C temperatures.
Mystery still surrounds how the former Newcastle, Manly and Canberra backrower even got inside the complex on McPherson St, which is surrounded by 2.5m-high spiked fences.
The Sunday Telegraph understands Kennedy had appeared as a special guest at a State of Origin function earlier in the evening — three days before the Blues won game one in Melbourne.
The ex-international was a stalwart for the Blues during one the team’s most successful periods between 1999 and 2005.
At some point, he left the function and found his way into the ABF base.
Kennedy was found by officers working at the complex who later told police he was cooperative, court documents state.
The documents also said the officers believed Kennedy’s account that he was trying to seek shelter from the cold.
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Kennedy did not return The Sunday Telegraph’s calls on instruction from his lawyer Paul McGirr, who said his client could not comment before his case is heard tomorrow.
Mr McGirr said Kennedy drank “a couple of schooners” at the function but was left disorientated when the alcohol reacted with the medication he takes for a degenerative lumbar disc disease.
“He has a debilitating back injury,” Mr McGirr said.
“The heavy-duty medication he is prescribed and takes for the condition created an adverse reaction with the alcohol where he was not able to make reasonable decisions. I will be tendering a medical certificate in court on Monday to confirm this.”
Kennedy has pleaded guilty to unlawfully entering enclosed lands and damaging government property. The detector dog facility was officially opened by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in March.
It houses sniffer dogs from the Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police and Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
The dogs are used to detect drugs, firearms, explosives and biosecurity risks.